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To Comrade Wladyslaw GomulkaFirst Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish Workers' Party

Dear Comrade,

I have received your letter of 31 December 1965, in which you asked me to support the proposal by the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party for the earliest possible convocation of a conference of the communist and workers' parties of the countries of the Warsaw Treaty as well as the socialist countries of Asia, with the goal of discussing the coordination of assistance to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in its war against US aggression.

In the present situation of an expanding war by American imperialists against the Vietnamese people, we consider it appropriate to convene a conference of the parties of the socialist countries and discuss there the ways of providing assistance and support for the fighting Vietnamese people as well as the coordination of common action. Because of the serious disagreements that exist within the communist movement, however, it would be difficult at this time to convene such a conference without a consensus among the interested fraternal parties and careful advance preparation.

If the conference were to be convened without adequate advance preparation it would not bring benefit to the struggle of the Vietnamese people nor would it enhance the cohesion of the socialist camp; on the contrary, it would cause further damage to the unity of the international communist movement.

At the same time, with regard to assisting the Vietnamese people in its struggle, all parties of the socialist countries and each one of them must first act in practice without waiting for the conference. The socialist countries must support even more actively the Vietnamese people in its heroic struggle against American imperialism and render it maximum assistance and moral support. At the same time, all socialist countries must develop their struggle against US imperialism from the position of principle.

It is necessary to use all possible opportunities to unmask the aggressive policy of American imperialism and gradually isolate it, not allowing any compromise with it.

At a time when the US imperialists are escalating their attacks on a socialist country—the Democratic Republic of Vietnam—and expanding the war, the socialist countries should not even hesitate to break all relations with American imperialism.

If all socialist countries indeed take such common steps, they would deal a powerful blow to American imperialism, thus giving real help to the Vietnamese people.

In the course of such action, the existing divergences among the fraternal parties could be gradually overcome and the conditions for convening the conference of the parties of socialist countries that you propose could be created.

We believe that under the present circumstances this is the right way of both demonstrating support for the struggle of the Vietnamese people and defending the unity of the socialist camp.

Our party will also in the future make every effort to strengthen the unity of our camp and the cohesion of the international communist movement.

Kim Il SungChairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Workers PartyPyongyang, 3 February 1966

Document summary

A letter to Wladislaw Gomulka from Kim Il Sung containing his suggestions on providing assistance to the Vietnamese people and strengthening relations within the socialist bloc.

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